Thursdays Treasure: Red Sleeping Beauty - The Regrettes - Mr. Elevator

Red Sleeping Beauty - We Are Magic.

Background - Red Sleeping Beauty formed in Stockholm in 1989 by singer Kristina Borg, singer/guitarist Niklas Angergård (Acid House Kings), guitarist Mikael Matsson (The Shermans), and bassist Carl-Johan Näsström. They made a huge impact on the international indiepop scene with two fantastic albums and a series of singles and EPs. Their first release was in 1992 with EP Pop Sounds (Marsh Marigold), followed by four 7"s all on different pop labels (Somersault, Motorway, Grimsey, and Sunday) before returning to Marsh-Marigold for the first full length Bedroom. They then signed to the legendary Siesta Records to release their fifth single Sick & Tired, their second album Soundtrack, and a compilation of singles.

Album named after the band’s female singer. On the recent album ”Kristina” Red Sleeping Beauty is a duo consisting of vocalist Niklas Angergård and Mikael Matsson with help from Kristina Borg on vocals on four songs. The album title is a tribute to her. - She’s had a tough struggle with cancer but things are looking brighter now. We expect her back as a full time member on the next album, the band states.

First album in 19 years time - ”Kristina” is the band’s first album in 19 year’s time. But that doesn’t mean the members have been disconnected from making music all these years. Niklas has released numerous albums with Acid House Kings on Labrador while Mikael Matsson has released several albums with both The Charade and The Shermans on Skipping Stones Records and Shelflife. Record label here.

'We Are Magic' has rich synthy vibes and beautifully smooth melodic vocals. The song has something of a timeless feel to it, almost as if the band have picked up from where they left off nineteen years previous.

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The Regrettes - A Living Human Girl.

Background - The band is releasing their debut album, Feel Your Feelings, Fool! a month from now. The Regrettes are Lydia Night's latest project with friends Genessa Gariano (guitar), Sage Chavis (bass) and drummer Maxx Morando. The Regrettes have been tearing up the LA club scene playing with Kate Nash, Peaches, Bleached, Deap Vally, PINS, La Luz and Summer Twins leaving L.A.'s jaded rock critics to write such things as "Everybody was floored by The Regrettes—the new poster children for local teen garage rock." and "The Regrettes rocked with a ferocity and penchant for hooks that schools most indie rockers twice their age. They will surely run an empire in ten years tops."

A song by The Regrettes is, essentially, a diary entry into Lydia’s life. “My music is a spectrum of every emotion that I have felt in the last year, and you can hear that when you hear the songs. Everything that is happening in my life influences me. It’s everything from boys, to friends, to being pissed off at people, to being really sad. Just everything.”

The most intoxicating draw of The Regrettes is their bashful, heart-on-your-sleeve temperament - writing urgent and fast-paced pop songs with a punk rock mentality. “The way that we write, it’s all based on honesty,” muses Lydia on the group’s punk aesthetic. “If I finish a song, I’ll just leave it - I won’t really go back to it. I like things to feel in the moment and I don’t want it to be perfect. If I work on something too much I lose it and get bored and I want to do the next one.” Website here and Facebook here.

We first featured The Regrettes in early August, and it's great to be able to share another song, this time from next months album release we have 'A Living Human Girl' the second of fifteen gorgeous, vibrant, punky songs in the collection. Energised and genuine, this is one band to watch out for, come the new year!

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Mr. Elevator - Sunshine Daydream.

Background - Mr. Elevator – formed in Southern California in 2012 by Thomas Dolas and Justin Martinez (and their mutual love of Donovan) – eschews guitars for vintage synthesizers, organs, and electric pianos, distinguishing themselves within the fuzzy, distorted contemporary Psych-Pop scene.

Today on Brooklyn Vegan, Mr. Elevator shares the first track and video "Sunshine Daydream" from their upcoming album.  'When the Morning Greets You,' is scheduled for release in February 10, 2017, on Rad Cat Records.

Under the original name Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel, the band began playing shows as a three-piece with bassist Wyatt Blair, and a short-while later, in 2013, relocated to Los Angeles where they released their first album, 'Nico & her Psychedelic Subconscious,' with Burger Records. After a few years of live shows, perfecting their sound alongside acts like Thee Oh Sees, The Fresh & Onlys, The Black Lips, Allah-Las, and more, Mr. Elevator recently completed their second album, 'When the Morning Greets You'.

On 'When the Morning Greets You,' the bands’ love for vintage keyboard sounds, concept albums, and 70s pop remains intact, furnishing an album that entrances listeners and evolves over the course of its run-time into an array of bright, complex patterns and shapes. The upbeat, colorful pop feel of Side A, for example, is slowly engulfed in the lush, synth-heavy soundscape of Side B (pointing in at least two distinct directions in regards to the sound of the next album).

With the addition of a fourth member to the performing band, Mr. Elevator will be supporting the release of 'When the Morning Greets You' with national and international live dates. Facebook here.

If it was not for the more modern production and audio quality 'Sunshine Daydream' could be taken as something from the sixties psychedelic music scene. A little bit quirky and a whole lot gorgeous melodic and catchy, my only complaint is it's over so quickly, still with more on the way who can complain!

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